On Her 26th Birthday
by HollyFire
Summary: The Doctor decides to take Ace to a special evening planetary celebration to not only celebrate her birthday, but to commemorate the 10th year anniversary of her traveling with him. The evening does not go as smoothly as he had planned.


**_On Her 26__th__ Birthday_**

**This is the first 7th Doctor/Ace story I had written. It's also posted over on .**_**  
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The Doctor was stunned. There was no other word to describe how he felt at that exact moment. He was stunned speechless by just how beautiful Ace looked. Her hair was about her shoulders in gentle waves and her satin dress, which he noticed fit her like a glove, was a dark shade of brown that matched her eyes perfectly. It was at this point that he realized his mouth was slightly open and he must have looked totally surprised because Ace was giving him a curious look.

"Professor, are you okay? Surely I don't look that bad," Ace said, giving a small nervous laugh.

"Oh, I'm fine Ace," the Doctor said quickly, clearing his throat. "It's just…well…". He took a deep breath and gave her a gentle smile. He walked around the console to stand in front of her. "You look breathtaking, utterly breathtaking," he replied, with a touch of awe in his voice.

It was Ace's turn to be stunned speechless. As she gazed into the infinite depths of his blue grey eyes, she saw all the caring and love he felt for her shine through. She didn't know what to say except to say softly, "Thank you, Doctor."

He closed the gap between them, tweaked her nose gently, and then walked back over to the console, asking, "Now, are you ready to go out and celebrate your 26th birthday in style? I promised I'd take you someplace special to commemorate your ten years aboard the Tardis and I aim to please." He glanced down at the readings on the console and stated, "Ah, yes, we're right on time."

He opened the Tardis doors and held his hand out to her. "Well, Miss McShane, are you ready for the celebration to begin?" he said, his eyes twinkling with delight and excitement.

She walked over, took his hand, gave him the most brilliant smile and said excitedly, "Let the celebrating begin!"

**&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**

Now these people know how to celebrate, Ace thought to herself as she and the Doctor stepped out of the Tardis and walked along the crowded streets of partygoers, all the while glancing up at the myriad of fireworks going off in the clear night sky. No matter which way they turned to look up, there were fireworks being shot up into the sky, one right after another with no hint of letting up anytime soon.

While they wove their way through the crowds of people partying in the street, the Doctor leaned in and, speaking in her ear, said, "This is the planet Pauate, and the Pauateans are well known throughout the galaxies for their remarkable pyrotechnic expertise. On this day out of every one of their standard years, they celebrate their freedom from tyranny and oppression from…". It was then he noticed that she seemed not to be listening, so engrossed was she in looking up at the fireworks in delight and wonder. He led her over to a restaurant with an outdoor seating area, with steps leading up to a deck overlooking a beautiful lake reflecting all the rainbow colors of the fireworks on display.

A waiter showed them to a table for two beside the deck railing facing the lake. Since Ace was too distracted with the fireworks to bother with looking at the menu, the Doctor decided to order for them both. After the waiter had taken their order and left, the Doctor then relaxed back in his chair and gazed at Ace with a satisfied smile on his face.

"So, I trust the fireworks meet with your approval?", he asked, laughing lightly.

"Definitely, Professor. These fireworks are wonderful, brilliant! I've never seen any like these before. They're just going off one right after another without even ten seconds delay I'll bet, and from multiple locations around this city no less!" she replied with awe and appreciation. "How do they have so many fireworks to keep this up and how long had these fireworks been going off before we'd arrived?", she asked, only briefly glancing at him, all the while looking like a kid in a candy store.

"Well, to answer your first question, these people are pyrotechnic geniuses who spend their time devising ways to make fireworks more colorful and longer lasting for each year's celebration. To answer your second question, the fireworks had begun probably a half hour before we'd arrived."

"Well Professor, you have truly outdone yourself. I just love this!" Ace exclaimed, smiling at him and reaching her hand out to hold his. "Thank you so much for bringing me here." With that said, she leaned over quickly and, before he knew it, kissed him gently on the cheek, flushing slightly.

"You're quite welcome, Ace," the Doctor replied sincerely, pleasantly surprised by her action. She smiled affectionately at him and then turned her attention back to the fireworks. For the next few minutes, he spent his time intermittently gazing back and forth from the fireworks to her. He came to the conclusion that although the fireworks were brilliant in their vibrant colors and designs, they paled in comparison to his companion. She was the one who had stayed with him the longest out of all the others. He had watched her develop from a strong willed and determined teen to a beautiful woman who still had that fiery spirit within her, but it was tempered with maturity and wisdom. She truly is amazing, he thought lovingly with pride.

It was at that point in his musings that he remembered something. He had forgotten to give Ace her other birthday gift. Reaching into his inner jacket pocket, he retrieved a rectangular black velvet box.

"Ace, I have something else for you," he said as he sat the box on the table next to Ace's hand. She first looked at the Doctor in surprise and then noticed the box sitting on the table. She picked it up and gently opened it. She was stunned speechless yet again tonight. The box contained an intricate gold chain with the most remarkable looking fiery opal pendant she had ever seen. The opal seemed to glisten with a brilliance all its own, as if the opal itself held a tiny fireworks display.

"This is the most beautiful necklace I've ever seen! Thank you so much!", she replied, grinning widely as she reached over to give him a hug. As she took it out of the box, she said with a touch of worry on her face, "It looks too delicate for me to wear, though. I'd be too afraid of losing it somehow."

"Not to worry, Ace. This necklace is really quite durable. It seems the Pauateans are not only well known for their fireworks, but are also quite skilled at jewelry making. While you were getting ready earlier, I snuck out to one of their jewelry shops nearby. Here, I'll help you fasten the clasp."

He picked up the necklace and, as she held her hair away from her neck, he stood behind her and placed it on her, fastening the clasp. He then said gently in her ear, "Happy birthday, Ace."

He sat back down next to her and she reached for his hand, a joyful smile on her face. She then returned to gazing at the fireworks. Should I do it, he asked himself. He had wanted to kiss her for a while now, but knew that once he did, the rules of their relationship would change. He didn't know when it had happened, but he had fallen for her. For ten years they had had a comfortable relationship of mentor and pupil, which had grown to him thinking of her as no longer his pupil, but as his equal in many ways. There were times when it seemed like she felt the same way about him, but he couldn't be sure. He was never very good at this kind of thing anyways. Resolutely making up his mind, though, he leaned slightly closer to her and gently cupped her cheek with his other hand. Pleasantly surprised by his touch, she looked at him expectantly. "Doctor?" This is it, he thought to himself, as he began, "Ace, I need to tell you something. I…". He never got to finish, for in that instant an almighty explosion rocked a building a block away from them, the likes of which easily drowned out the sound of the fireworks.

All of the other restaurant customers sitting near Ace and the Doctor immediately stood up and began speculating on exactly which building was hit, how many people were hurt, and who was behind it. All along the street people were running around, some rushing towards the source of the explosion seeing if they could be of help, and others searching for loved ones amidst the chaos of the previously jovial crowds of partygoers. The air around the Doctor and Ace was buzzing with a barely controlled panic as they began to run towards the source of the explosion.

They had not run half a block before another explosion sounded, this time totally demolishing the restaurant they had just come from. "Gordon Bennett!", Ace shouted as she was shocked by just how close she and the Doctor had come to being crushed by the rubble of the building they had just been sitting outside of. In a matter of moments, fire and rescue teams were on the scene, with passersby helping any way they could.

The Doctor gazed at the scene and Ace noticed the myriad of emotions that quickly flitted over his face. The emotions ranged from shock, to fear for the lives of the people who had been inside and around the restaurant, to outright rage at whoever was behind these explosions, and finally, to a deadly calculating calm. Ace shivered briefly when she saw that look on his face. This was the look of the man known, to all in the galaxy who were foolish enough to cross him, as The Oncoming Storm.

"One explosion I was willing to write off as an accident, but two explosions happening minutes apart and the second one occurring at the restaurant we had just happened to be at? No, these are no mere accidents or coincidences. There's a motive behind all this and I have a sneaking suspicion of just who is responsible. No Pauatean would ever do this. It would appear that Pauate has been paid a visit yet again," he said, with an infuriated edge to his voice.

Ace noticed that they were walking down the side street that the Tardis had landed on and were not heading in the direction of the first explosion. "Doctor, aren't we going to see what we can find out from that initial explosion?," she asked, puzzled.

"We will, Ace. But first, we must get back to the Tardis to confirm my suspicions about who has arrived on this planet. Although I knew that this planet should not have been attacked again for at least another ten years, I decided to have the 'Old Girl' monitor all the ships arriving and leaving the planet, to determine if any of the Pauatean's 'old friends' would happen to make an impromptu visit on Pauate's Celebration Day," the Doctor responded as they arrived at the Tardis. Opening the door and stepping inside, he quickly went to the console to check on what had been recorded since they had left the Tardis earlier.

Ace walked up to the console to stand beside him as he worked the controls and studied the readouts, a look of intense concentration upon his face. Knowing that there was nothing she could do for him at the moment, she decided to go ahead and change into something suitable to wear for 'going into battle' or, as she liked to phrase it, ' just another day at work'. "I'll just go ahead and change out of this, then," she had tried to make her voice sound casual, but it ended up coming out with a hint of disappointment and resignation at how things more often than not ended up turning out wherever they went just for a bit of a holiday.

He glanced up at her, briefly letting his defenses down and giving her a look of sorrow and apology that they had yet again been thrown into danger and on her birthday no less. She nodded her head in understanding, a look of grim determination on her face, letting him know that it was alright, that there were more important things for them to be thinking about at the moment. He nodded his head in agreement and, cupping her cheek gently in his hand, softly kissed her on the lips. After a few seconds, he made himself pull back. Truth be told, he could have kissed her for much longer, but knew that now was not the time. Her eyes were still closed but when she opened them, she looked at him in wonder, with a small smile tugging at her lips. So that's what he had wanted to talk to me about before, she thought to herself as he gave her a small smile in return. He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze and then said in a determined voice, "Are you ready for this, Ace?"

Thinking that he most likely meant the trouble they were about to get into by finding out and dealing with who was responsible for the chaos all around them (and not how alive he had just made her feel by such a simple kiss) she responded resolutely, "Yeah, let's get to work."

**&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**

Having returned to the console room after changing into more practical clothes, Ace listened attentively as the Doctor explained what the Tardis had managed to pick up while they were out earlier. Apparently two space vessels had entered Pauate's atmosphere and had landed a few miles away from the city at Pauate's airport. According to the Pauateans' news broadcasts that had been recorded, the vessels had arrived unannounced and when attempts had been made by the Pauateans to arrest the unwanted guests, a firefight had ensued, killing Pauateans in the vicinity and seriously wounding others. The 'guests' had then managed to take over the airport and had stolen a few vehicles to drive into the heart of the Pauatean capital, Lasua.

"From the news broadcasts, I've learned that the first building that was destroyed was Lasua's City Hall. Also it appears the restaurant we were at earlier had a few important government officials dining there. It seems that the old regime is up to its old tricks again," the Doctor replied in an extremely annoyed tone, but with a distant look in his eyes, as if he was remembering something from his past.

"Professor, this regime you mentioned, who are they? Do you think they are acting on direct orders from their own planet's government, or are they just a rogue group trying to cause trouble?," Ace asked, trying to figure out what it was that was making the Doctor go down memory lane just then.

"At first, I thought it could have been just a rogue group, but from hearing the news broadcasts, I can safely say that this operation was done just a bit too efficiently for some rogue group from this regime," the Doctor stated. "I was so sure I had put an end to that planet's dictatorial regime," the Doctor pondered out loud to himself, deep in thought as he clasped his hands behind his back and paced slowly around the console.

Ace, feeling a bit annoyed that he wasn't letting her in on what was going on, said a bit louder to gain his attention, "Doctor, would you mind telling me what planet you're talking about."

He ceased his pacing and looked up at her, momentarily startled from his reverie, a myriad of emotions crossing his face. She saw intense anger, frustration, confusion, and dread all in a span of a few short seconds. As soon as his eyes refocused on her eyes, though, he regained his look of resolute determination and calm when in one of their more dangerous situations. His steely blue gray eyes met hers and stated calmly, with a hint of dread in his voice, "I visited it during my fourth incarnation, and it was where I almost lost someone very dear to me. The planet's name is Rashua."

**&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**

After giving Ace brief highlights of what his fourth incarnation and Sarah Jane Smith had gone through on Rashua, the Doctor transported the Tardis to an older and unused section of Lasua's regional airport. He was sure the Rashuan group's leader, whoever that was, would have set up his base there. "That's what's so confusing to me," the Doctor said aloud to Ace as he pressed buttons on the console to conduct a scan of the old hangar bay they had dematerialized in, and the surrounding area, to see if anybody was around. "The last time I was on Rashua, there was only Dictator Rushalf to deal with. Not one of Tresdan's supporters mentioned Rushalf having any family members or apprentices who would have succeeded him. In this timeline, it's only been about ten years since my fourth incarnation's appearance on Rashua. Drimen was the likely choice for the democratically elected ruler. I was so certain I had done the right thing by taking Rushalf out of the picture. But did that just pave the way for someone else much worse than Rushalf to take control?", the Doctor asked rhetorically.

Ace leaned against the opposite side of the console, listening to the Doctor's musings. She had no answers for him and knew that he expected none in return from her. He often thought aloud when he was trying to figure out a series of events that he was puzzled by. She speculated correctly that these recent events had taken even him completely by surprise, which was a rarity and made her feel very uneasy. She knew that even he didn't have all the answers, but he usually had almost an omnipotent sense of series of events and possible ways that multiple scenarios could play out in multiple timelines. Yes, he could be surprised by something small that he hadn't been able to foresee, but all this with Rashua was something that seemed to have seriously taken him aback. She could tell he was starting to almost doubt himself, to doubt the course of action he had taken in his fourth incarnation in terms of getting rid of Rashua's dictator.

Now, though, in his seventh incarnation, he was known throughout the cosmos as Time's Champion and The Great Manipulator, along with the ever infamous Oncoming Storm. For him to be thrown off guard by this Rashuan regime coming here, at this time, to Pauate, was not a good sign in Ace's book. Yes, he had said previously that he expected some rogue Rashuan group to come back to Pauate to cause trouble years from now, but from what he had told her, this newly arrived group was led by Rashua's own planetary leader, and not just a democratically elected leader (like the Doctor had presumed Rashua had had for the past ten years), but a Rashuan dictator. She could virtually see the wheels spinning in the Professor's mind as to who it could be, if it could be someone related to Rushalf, or if it could possibly be someone who the Doctor had thought had been on his friend Tresdan's side.

The Doctor had told her that Tresdan, who had been a renowned political scientist, had been the leader of a grassroots effort to overthrow Dictator Rushalf's regime. The Doctor's other friends, Drimen and Lokeem, along with others in Tresdan's group who he had met the last time he and Sarah Jane were on Rashua, had helped with ending Rushalf's rule. When he had told Ace briefly about what had happened to Sarah and then the ensuing sword fight that had occurred between him and Rushalf, Ace could tell that the Doctor wasn't telling her the whole story. She had a feeling that something had happened on Rashua that had totally changed the relationship that he and Sarah Jane had. She was fine with not knowing the details of that, since she considered that to be an extremely private subject for the Doctor.

What she was curious about were the details of the sword fight that had taken place between the Doctor and Rushalf. If the Doctor's intent was not to kill Rushalf, then why did he lean Rushalf against the balcony railing, when he knew the railing was about to give way? She believed him when he said that when Rushalf had started to fall, he had reached out his hand to try to save him. But why had the Doctor led Rushalf out to the balcony in the first place, when they could have just fought throughout the palace? From how the Doctor had described the swordfight, he had said that he had made Rushalf think that Rushalf had the upper hand early on, but that the Doctor had always been in full control of the fight. Did the Doctor subconsciously want to kill Rushalf for what Rushalf had done and what he had planned to do to Sarah Jane?

If I were ever to be in that situation, would the Doctor go to such lengths for me, she wondered. She knew that he would, but a tiny part of her mind had some doubt. Why am I thinking about this, she asked herself. This new dimension that her relationship with the Doctor had taken, with just that one kiss, was making her question things that she was usually so sure of. Am I scared of this new development, scared of what will happen if it doesn't work out for some reason, she asked herself. The question that also nagged at her was if he loves her as deeply as it seems he loved Sarah Jane?

Ace was shaken from her musings when she felt the Doctor touch her shoulder and say in a concerned voice, "Ace, are you alright? I asked you a question and called your name twice."

"Hmm, oh, yeah Professor I'm alright. I was just thinking is all," Ace gave him a small reassuring smile and touched his hand that was still on her shoulder. "What did you ask me before?"

"I asked if you're ready to go. I figured we'd do a bit of reconnaissance at the main building here at the airport, and see what we can find out about this group first, before we make our presence known. I want to find out just who is in charge of this group and if he is the new Rashuan dictator," the Doctor replied, all the while searching Ace's eyes to figure out why she had been so distracted earlier. Underneath her calm and determined exterior, he could see worry and concern for him and herself, which was normal when going into battle, but then he saw something else in her eyes that he couldn't put a name to.

Before he could figure out what it was, she stated, while breaking eye contact and walking towards the door, "That sounds like a plan, Professor. Let's go!"

He watched her as she walked to the door, opened it, and stepped outside into the dimly lit hangar bay. He quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts and steeled himself for their mission. As he walked out of the Tardis, expecting to find Ace nearby, he thought he heard the sound of a transportation device, but all he saw was blackness. The dim lighting from the hangar bay, that had just been on, had been turned off. He got his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket and turned it on a setting that produced a blue white light that lit up half of the area. "Ace," he called out, but she didn't respond. Then the lights of the hangar bay came back on and as he turned his head toward the hangar bay door, the sight that met his eyes made him stop in his tracks horrified.

He saw Ace lying unconscious on the floor surrounded by a group of about five Rashuan soldiers, with guns aimed straight at him. Then the soldiers parted to let another Rashuan man come forward. The man appeared to be in his late 40's. He had a slight build, piercing green eyes, auburn hair, and was dressed in a gray military suit. The man had a long syringe in his hand that looked empty. "No, it can't be," the Doctor whispered in a hoarse, incredulous voice.

"Ah, you must be the Doctor. I am Shalef" the man said in an arrogant voice filled with hatred. "I've of course heard about you and seen you from the palace security tapes. I must say, you look so very different from the man I've heard about and seen. But no matter, just as long as you're the same man on the inside, the same man who killed my twin brother, Rushalf."

The Doctor, who had been momentarily shocked by this bit of news and turn of events, gave a quick look toward Ace's unconscious form and at the empty syringe in Shalef's hand. "What was in that syringe?", the Doctor asked in a very controlled voice. Gone was his look of shock. In its place was the look in his steel blue gray eyes of the calm before the storm.

"My brother was very fond of these little concoctions, Doctor, as you may well remember. I had heard from one of his loyal guards that he had given something very similar to the woman you were with at the time. He had said it was something that erased her short term memory. He had another concoction that he was planning to use on her, something that would have totally erased her long term memory, but alas, he didn't have the chance to use that, now did he, Doctor, since you saw fit to murder him!", Shalef stated in a voice filled with barely suppressed rage.

Before the Doctor had a chance to respond to Shalef, who he was increasingly realizing was making Rushalf look like the normal sane one in that family, Shalef then said in a much calmer though no less livid voice, "As much as I'd like to stay here and continue our little chat, I've got a planet full of people to take control of. But not to worry Doctor, I'll take very good care of your friend. And the best part is, with what I've just injected her with, she'll have a difficult time remembering anything about you!" With a maniacal smile on his face, Shalef pressed a button on a device in his hand and Shalef, his soldiers, and Ace vanished.

The Doctor stood there for a second, stunned that not one of Tresdan's supporters had told him, or that they just hadn't known, that Rushalf had a twin brother and that said twin brother had just happened to find him at the right time and place on Pauate with Ace. With an angry determination, the Doctor rushed back inside the Tardis and began attempting to ascertain the exact location that they had transported to. After just a few moments, he zeroed in on Ace's exact location. Little did Shalef know that the fiery opal pendant of the necklace that the Doctor had given Ace was, in actuality, a location device. "If he really gave Ace that drug that erases her long term memory, and if he does anything more to Ace," the Doctor stated aloud to himself, the storm gathering force inside him, "I will not be as kind to Shalef as I was to Rushalf!" With that said, he punched a few buttons on the console and the 'Old Girl' dematerialized, her coordinates leading straight to Ace.

**&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**

Once Shalef and an unconscious Ace had transported to his ship, he instructed his pilot to immediately head back to his palace on Rashua at the best possible speed. He then carried Ace to his quarters. Once in his quarters, he lay her down gently on the bed and really looked at her. Shalef was entranced by her unique beauty. She has brown eyes and brown hair, just like the Doctor's previous companion Sarah, he thought to himself as he gently stroked Ace's hair. He saw the bruise that had formed from the syringe he had used on her earlier, which contained the long term memory erasing drug 'Olvidar Todas Memorias'. He knew she would not wake up for at least a few hours. "I wonder just how far this version of the Doctor will go to rescue his lovely companion", Shalef pondered aloud.

Shalef knew that he had no chance of taking over all of Pauate or even the capital, Lasua. That wasn't even his reason for being on Pauate. Sure, he had let his soldiers create some good old fashioned havoc at the airport and in the streets of Lasua. All of that was done just for fun and to infuriate the Doctor. His real reason, the only thing fueling him these ten long years, was revenge for the death of his beloved twin brother.

Rushalf had wisely kept Shalef in hiding, even from most of Rushalf's security guards and soldiers in his regime. Only about a half percent of the population of Rashua had even known of Shalef's existence, and that half percent made up the most loyal supporters and officials in their family's regime. Rushalf and Shalef had been born into the most important family of Rashuan history, the family Farusha. It was the Farushan regime that had, about a century ago, attacked and occupied Pauate. For twenty years, the Rashuans had been successful in their occupation, until the Pautean rebellion had slowly but surely fought back against the Rashuan government that had settled permanently on their planet. It took the Pauateans ten years to drive away every last one of the Rashuans off their planet and to declare their independence from Rashua, or so the Pauteans thought. What the Pauateans never knew was that there were a select few Pauatean families that had secretly switched allegiance to Rashua and who would do anything for the Farushan regime.

Rushalf had kept a diary every day during his time as dictator and had spoken regularly to Shalef by using a secured communications network, so Shalef could be kept up to date on events. The Farushans had kept Shalef in hiding as a security precaution. Shalef was to be their security policy, in case Rushalf was assassinated. The Farushans were the most politically powerful family on Rashua, which meant they had the greatest number of enemies.

About thirteen years ago, Rushalf had believed the time had come for all of Rashua to know about his twin brother, but then Tresdan happened. Rushalf had confided in his brother about Tresdan and Tresdan's growing number of supporters. Although Rushalf had told Shalef in one of their last communiqués that everything would work out, that Rushalf's life was not in any real danger, that didn't prevent Shalef from worrying.

In the last recorded communiqué that Rushalf had sent to Shalef, exactly ten years ago, Rushalf spoke of Tresdan's off-world friend, the Doctor. He spoke of his concern that the Doctor would cause trouble once he found out that Rushalf had killed Tresdan. Rushalf had talked about the Doctor's 'wife', who was the most beautiful and unique woman that Rushalf had ever laid eyes on. Rushalf had said how he was planning to kidnap the woman and give her the drug that would erase her short term memory. Shalef had known at that point that his brother was playing with fire. Stealing an enemy's wife was serious business, and not to be taken lightly. Shalef knew that Rushalf only wanted the woman because she looked unique, not because he really wanted a wife of his own. Rushalf had assured Shalef that it was alright, that he knew what he was doing and that the Doctor would never kill him.

Rushalf had interrogated Tresdan extensively before he had killed him. Tresdan had assured Rushalf that the Doctor was the best of men, and not one who would kill for revenge. Shalef wasn't so sure that Tresdan's word could be trusted, but Rushalf had said that Tresdan 'had the look of truth in his eyes'. Shalef had known at that point that it was useless to argue with his brother any further. Once Rushalf had his mind set on a plan, it was futile to talk him out of it. Rushalf had assured Shalef that once the Doctor was taken care of, Tresdan's supporters would give up their plan of overthrowing Rushalf's regime. Then Shalef could finally come to the palace and officially take his place by his brother's side.

For Shalef, that day never came. Ten years ago to this day, Shalef had received word of his brother's murder. Filled with grief and fueled by revenge, Shalef had poured over all of the palace security tapes, reviewing any footage of the Doctor. He interviewed the few remaining loyal soldiers who had escaped the palace as it had fallen into the hands of Tresdan's supporters the day that Rushalf was murdered. Based on the soldiers' accounts, and the accounts of a few loyal supporters who were in the street during the Doctor's departure from the planet, the Doctor and his companion had dematerialized off the planet in a small blue ship called the Tardis. Shalef had, for the past ten years since that day, become voracious for any information in the galaxy pertaining to the Doctor and his Tardis. What information he was able to obtain was sketchy at best, but from what he was able to ascertain, the Doctor had one weakness, his companion.

A breakthrough finally came on Pauate's Celebration Day, of all days. A secret communiqué was received from a well known jewelry maker in Lasua, whose family had been one of the small groups of families who had remained loyal to the Farushans. This jewelry maker reported that he saw a spaceship, a blue box, materialize near his store. He stated that the man who had gotten out of the blue box and who had entered his store had introduced himself as The Doctor. He had gone on to say how the Doctor had bought a beautiful necklace from him and how he had informed him that it was for his companion's birthday. The jewelry maker had heard about what happened on Rashua ten years ago and, therefore, had heard about the Doctor. As soon as the Doctor had left his store, he had sent a communiqué straight to Shalef's headquarters on Rashua. He had also, along with the communiqué, sent the video footage of the Doctor taken from his store's security camera.

Shalef had been grateful for the jewelry maker's loyalty and was planning to reward him and his family, but the jewelry maker got a bit too greedy in his demands, threatening to tell all on Pauate and Rashua about Shalef. Shalef had just smiled and said that he would pay the jewelry maker more than he ever dreamed. Feeling quite arrogant, the jewelry maker had decided to inform a few of his friends at the city hall (who were supposed Rashuan loyalists themselves) about his success in getting a great sum of money out of Shalef. After making that final communiqué to his friends, the jewelry maker decided to close his shop and go out for a night on the town, with his Pauatean government friends, to the most expensive restaurant in town near the lake.

What the jewelry maker had not known was that his communication system was being constantly monitored by Shalef's regime on Rashua. Shalef monitored the communications of all of the families loyal to Rashua who lived on Pauate. Hating to have loose ends dangling, Shalef decided this was the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. He called upon two bomb specialists, Pauateans who were the most loyal to his family, and informed them of the locations to target: Lasua's City Hall and The Lakefront, the most expensive restaurant in Lasua. He had also sent them a copy of the video footage of the Doctor, instructing them to make sure the Doctor and his companion were out of range when the bombs went off. He wanted to deal with the Doctor himself.

Shalef was interrupted from his musings with the pilot's voice over the intercom stating that they had just landed on Rashua. He got up from the bed, lifted Ace's unconscious form off the bed, and departed from his ship towards his palace. He knew just where he and Ace would wait for the Doctor to arrive. Shalef carried Ace into the palace and made his way upstairs to Rushalf's former quarters. He entered the spacious living area and gently lay Ace on the bed. He sat next to her on the bed and gazed at her with curiosity mixed with a touch of lust as he brushed his fingers over her cheeks and around her neck. He wondered if she would remember anything about the Doctor. Surely she would forget everything about the Doctor, but would forgetting about him make her more susceptible to Shalef's charms?

He was shaken out of his musings by the sound of the Tardis dematerializing right in the room. Shalef hadn't counted on the Doctor finding them so soon and, for the first time, there was a flicker of fear in Shalef's mind.

Shalef stood up as the Tardis doors opened. He knew that none of his guards would come to protect him. He had instructed his guards to, under no circumstances, interrupt him, no matter what they heard. He was so sure he could deal with the Doctor on his own. In the back of his mind, he knew he could not. He silenced that one small sane part of his mind and allowed his arrogant persona to take over.

The Doctor walked slowly into the room. His gaze focused first on Shalef, a look of cool calculation in his steel blue gray eyes. Then he noticed Ace lying unconscious on the bed. At that point, Shalef saw a glimmer of fear and concern for Ace in the Doctor's eyes. Immediately, a palpable change in the room could be felt. Shalef could literally feel the oncoming storm of the Time Lord's rage focused solely on him. He had also noticed that the Doctor was sans the hat and brolly that he had previously had. The only thing the Doctor held was a sword. Shalef knew this sword well, for it had been the same sword the other version of the Doctor had used to fight Rushalf. The hilt of the sword was made out of gold, with lapis lazuli and cat's eye gemstones adorning it. The rest of the sword was gold plated and looked extremely well crafted.

The Doctor noticed Shalef's recognition of the sword and stated, in a voice of calculating calmness, "Yes, you're correct, Shalef. It appears that I've come full circle with dealing with your family. Although I do not wish to leave you to the same fate as your brother, I realize that, unlike your brother, you're not totally sane. I thought it best to come prepared."

Shalef shook his head and grinned in a maniacal manner, despite the grim situation he found himself in. He then replied in a quite self assured, pompous manner, "My dear Doctor, if you think that I, for one second, have any fear of meeting the same end as my brother, you are sorely mistaken. This isn't exactly the same scenario you found yourself in with my brother. For instance, I do not fight in the same 'ancient and honorable way' as my brother did. Sword fighting is not really my style. I believe in the more practical approach."

While Shalef had been talking, he had slowly walked over to a side table and, upon ending his statement, withdrew his pistol from the table's drawer. He then went on to discuss how he had managed to find the Doctor on Pauate. The Doctor had allowed him to ramble on because he knew something that Shalef did not. When Shalef had started to talk, the Doctor had noticed Ace begin to stir, but her movements were very subtle, as if she was listening intently to what was being said. With his excellent eye sight, the Doctor had, while keeping an eye on Shalef, also noticed Ace open her eyes. What had surprised the Doctor was the fact that her eyes were golden. The Cheetah virus must have been activated by whatever drug Shalef had given her, the Doctor thought to himself. The Doctor, ever the consummate actor, kept his expression the same as it had been prior to this revelation.

Ace's movements were slow and purposeful as she sat up in the bed and stood up. Shalef held the pistol loosely at his side, while slowly walking toward the balcony and continuing his explanation of events. The Doctor noticed Ace briefly glance at him, as if to get permission for what she was about to do. He gave her the barest of nods, with a hint of a smile in his eyes. She returned the smile and then focused her attention on Shalef.

Shalef walked onto the extravagant balcony, lost in his own world as he went on about his family's greatness and his belief that what he had recently done to the Pauateans was justified. Then, out of nowhere, Shalef was knocked down by an enraged animal in the form of Ace. His pistol went flying to the edge of the balcony and Ace knocked it off the edge before he could make a grab for it. He staggered away from her and leaned on the balcony's railing, a look of utter confusion and fear on his face. He called out to the Doctor, "What is this?! What's happened to her?!"

The Doctor strolled out onto the balcony, as Ace snarled at Shalef with a look in her eyes that just dared him to move an inch. "It would appear that whatever drug you injected her with caused the Cheetah virus to activate," the Doctor stated in a matter of fact voice. "You were saying something earlier about not having any fear. What about now?"

All of a sudden, the smell of fear on her prey was too intoxicating for Ace to just stand idly by. Whatever drug was in her system was making the Cheetah virus uncontrollable. She grabbed Shalef roughly by his jacket and would have thrown him over the balcony, but the Doctor said in a powerfully calm voice that seemed to touch Ace to the core, "That's enough. Come home, Ace." She shook her head slightly and blinked her eyes, as if coming out of a dream. Ace turned away from Shalef and looked at the Doctor. "Doctor, I couldn't control it. I…".

The Doctor then heard Ace gasp in pain and stagger to the ground away from Shalef, who had stabbed her in her side with a knife he had hidden in his jacket.

That was all the excuse the Doctor needed to bring his sword up threateningly next to Shalef's throat. This in turn caused Shalef to drop the knife, to chuckle maniacally and grin as he saw the oncoming storm approaching in the Doctor's eyes. "You won't push me off this balcony, Doctor. That other version of you had the guts to kill my brother, but you don't have it in you to kill me."

"You have your facts reversed, Shalef. It was my fourth incarnation who didn't have it in him to kill your brother in cold blood. What happened to your brother was an accident. I, on the other hand, do have it in me when provoked" the Doctor stated in a deadly calm voice, as he stared at Shalef with eyes as cold as the weather on Kastria. The air seemed charged with energy, as if it were the calm before the storm.

"Doctor…," gasped Ace in a weak voice.

That was all it took to dissipate the storm clouds from the Doctor's eyes. He turned away from Shalef and knelt next to Ace to see how deep the wound was. The side of her shirt was soaked in blood as she lifted it up a bit to show him the wound. It looked like it had already become infected, which led him to deduce that the knife had some type of poison on it.

As the Doctor turned around and stood up, with the intention of somehow making Shalef tell him the name of the poison used, Shalef came at him with the knife, which had been elongated into some type of makeshift sword. The Doctor was quick on his feet, moving away from Ace toward the other side of the balcony, as Shalef kept up his constant barrage against the Doctor's parries.

Shalef , out of breath as their sword fight progressed to the far end of the balcony, stated, "You can't hope to win this, Doctor. I'm far better at this than you will ever be." He then used every remaining ounce of his strength to move the Doctor against the balcony railing.

The Doctor, who was having a sense of déjà vu at how similar this sword fight was to the one his fourth incarnation had with Rushalf, stated in an exasperated voice, "You know, Shalef, it's amazing how one of your limited intelligence and common sense was able to overthrow the democratically elected government that I helped put in place here ten years ago." As much as I would take pleasure in continuing this little sword fight, it's time for it to come to an end, just like this new regime of yours. Give Rashua back to the people and leave Pauate alone."

Shalef grinned maniacally at the Doctor, as he leaned him closer to the balcony's edge. "And why would I do that? As you can see, I'm the one in complete control over whether this version of you lives or dies."

The Doctor, who had heard the railing begin to strain under the weight of Shalef leaning him against it, stated in a voice that all of a sudden made Shalef's blood run cold, "Are you so sure of that?" Then in the flash of an eye, the Doctor pushed Shalef back with full force, driving his sword against Shalef's own. Shalef was so caught off guard by the suddenness of it all, that his grip was not enough to fully hold onto his sword as the Doctor's sword repeatedly clanged with Shalef's. There was such intensity behind it that it made Shalef's hand ache. Without Shalef realizing it, the Doctor had battled Shalef into a position where Shalef was now the one who was leaning against the same part of the railing as the Doctor had been.

The Doctor's eyes were filled with intense anger as his sword clanged a final time against Shalef's, their swords pushed against each other's in a battle of strength. Shalef then heard the ominous creaking sound of the railing straining under his weight and for the second time this evening, Shalef felt fear. He immediately turned that thought away and it went back into the recesses of his mind. Little did he know that that one ounce of sanity would have been his ticket to keeping his life. Instead, Shalef was morbidly curious to see just how far he could push the Doctor. He then stated with his eyes gleaming sadistically, "By the way, Doctor, in case you were wondering what happened to your good friends Drimen and Lokeem, along with all of Tresdan's other supporters, I'll tell you. Not a day after your other self had left Rashua than my supporters and I raided the palace and the capital, purging the area of all of those traitors. I made sure that not a single one escaped death. Your plan for democracy never got a chance to take root. You failed, Doctor and caused all those people to die. Now, what do you have to say?"

The Doctor had suspected, upon first meeting Shalef, that that was the fate of Tresdan's supporters. He felt such sadness for them and their cause, along with such intense anger at this psychotic Rashuan dictator who believed he was justified in whatever action he took. The Doctor knew what had to be done and this time, he would feel no regret. While Shalef had been talking, the Doctor had allowed the intense anger in his his eyes to pierce right into the insanity present in Shalef's eyes.

As soon as Shalef had finished talking, he heard the Doctor speaking in a strangely hypnotic voice, but the Doctor wasn't moving his mouth. "What poison did you use on Ace?" Shalef automatically replied as if in a trance, "No poison. Wound infected due to side effect of long term memory erasing drug Olvidar Todas Memorias". With that bit of crucial information, the Doctor next telepathically sent this message, "Lean further against the railing." Shalef heard these words in his mind like a mantra, until after a short time, it became too much to bear. Shalef dropped his sword. The Doctor lowered his own sword and moved a few steps back from the railing, all the while continuing the onslaught of hypnosis against Shalef. What happened next seemed to be in slow motion for the Doctor. He saw the balcony railing give way and Shalef falling backwards, a dumbstruck look on his face, as if he couldn't believe what was happening. Unlike with Rushalf, the Doctor made no move to save Shalef.

The Doctor allowed himself a brief sigh of relief that his plan had worked and then quickly made his way back over to Ace. She was unconscious and extremely pale. The wound looked even worse than it did a few minutes ago. He lifted her up as gently as he could and carried her into the Tardis. He then proceeded to carry Ace to the infirmary, his mind already working on the antidote for the drug in her system.

**Epilogue (6 hours later)  
**

Ace slowly opened her eyes and was relieved to find herself in the Tardis infirmary. The lights were dim and as she slowly sat up, she felt a small twinge in her side. She lifted her shirt and touched her side, noticing how tender it felt. There was no scar, though. She then realized that she was wearing a different shirt from the one she had on earlier. All of a sudden, the images of the day came rushing back, but there were gaps in her memory. She remembered waking up in some room and realizing the Cheetah virus had taken over. She remembered wanting to push the dictator off the balcony railing, but the Doctor's voice had gotten into her head and somehow stopped her impulse. She remembered being stabbed in the side, feeling the burning pain from it, and calling out to the Doctor. She must have passed out afterwards. The Doctor must have taken care of that psycho if I'm here on the Tardis, she thought to herself. Getting up from the infirmary bed, she walked toward where she knew the Doctor would be: the console room.

She found him with half his body under the console, tinkering around. "Professor?"

"Ah, Ace! Glad you're awake. How do you feel?", he asked as he scooted out from under the console and looked up at her, a curious expression on his face, mixed with a touch of concern in his eyes.

"I'm fine, Professor. Thanks for patching me up," she replied, smiling at him. Her expression became serious as she asked, "So what happened after I had passed out?"

The Doctor replied, "After finding the antidote for that drug that Shalef had injected you with and seeing to your wound, I tidied up a few loose ends on Rashua and Pauate. I was able to get the right people from Pauate and Rashua to talk with each other to bring Shalef's ruffians to justice on Pauate. Once Shalef's 'suicide' became known on Rashua, the members and supporters of the former democratic government, who had escaped Shalef's grasp, were able to take their government back once again.

Ace knew that Shalef wouldn't have committed suicide, but she decided not to press the Doctor on just what he really meant by that word. She instead walked closer to him, held one of his hands, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "We never can have a normal holiday, can we?" she asked rhetorically in a half joking, half serious voice.

The Doctor gave a small smile. "True, but at least the first part of the holiday, before the explosion, went off without a hitch. I'm just relieved I was able to give your present to you and that you were wearing it before you were taken from me." At Ace's confused expression, he went on to say with a knowing smile, "That's no ordinary necklace, Ace. I planted a small tracking device within the opal." He lifted the opal gently from her delicate skin just below her collarbone, watching as the light from the Tardis reflected in it, making the colors seem even more vibrant and alive, like tiny fireworks. The brief touch of his fingers on her skin, as he had lifted the opal, sent tiny shivers of delight down Ace's spine and she wondered if the Doctor had noticed her reaction to his barest touch. He gently put the opal back and gazed at her lovingly, "That way, as long as you're wearing it, I'll always be able to find you." He then gently cupped her cheek and kissed her passionately, while wrapping his arms around her. She eagerly returned the kiss, her hands touching his shoulders and the base of his neck, reveling in how alive he made her feel.

After a few moments, they parted, and stood gazing into each other's eyes, still amazed at the love that shone through. They both knew that this new level to their relationship would have its difficulties, like all relationships do. But it was a risk they both were willing to take. The Doctor then moved to the console and asked, while punching in coordinates, "How would you like another go at a holiday? We're bound to get it right one of these days," he stated enthusiastically with a smile.

She smiled back and replied, "Sure thing, Professor. This time, though, let's go somewhere without fireworks."

**Fin**


End file.
